comfortable hold-fast of all but good christians must not misse of any but must be forward in the course of godlines a holy conuersatioÌ„ as not running at vncertainty or fighting as beating the aire but following hard toward the 1. Cor. 9 26. marke knowing that they are begotten by the immortall seede of the word in the bosome of the Church militant to a liuely hope of an inheritance for body and soule together immortall and vndefiled in the Church triumphant 1. Pet. 1. 4. This hope as it giueth vs an edge that we should earnestly affect spirituall things so doth it giue vs a backe also to indure all things For why doe the seruants of God indure crosses so patiently absteine from euill so carefully pursue the things that are good so cheerefully constantly but because they looke for a glorious resurrection Reasons ratifying the Doctrin of the Resurrection which is the full end of all Gods promises when the wicked shall haue their full iudgement and the godly their full payment when the wicked shall both in body and soule be made sensible of all maner of misery and intollerable wretchednesse and the godly which haue but breathings here shal be bath'd in a whole Sea of comforts and in body as well as in soule haue the complete inioyment of vnconceiuable happinesse And as God hath promised it and will accomplish it how incredible soeuer it seeme to reason and impossible to nature so secondly the equity of Gods iustice requires it for heere oftentimes as 2. Cor. 4. 10. Aristot in Eth. the Philosopher speaketh Bonis fit male malis benè therefore it stands with Gods iustice else-where to recompence euery man according to that hee hath done in his body 2. Cor. 5. 10. either good or bad and in that great day of resurrection to make both bodies soules of penitent beleeuers or vnrepentant sinners ioint partakers of eternall weale 2. Thes 1. 6. 7. or woe And thirdly as Gods word promiseth and iustice requireth it so his power with whom nothing Luk. 1. 37. is vnpossible is able to effect it For to examine what he can do by what he hath done could he create all things of nothing and can hee not worke his owne will in his owne creatures and restore our bodies out of the 4. Elements to their former estate againe could he quicken vs in the wombe of our mother and can hee not reuiue vs out of the wombe of our mother the earth can he with the dew of the morning and euening giue life to the seed that is vnder the earth and shall he not with the sound of the trumpet and with all his power giue life to vs can we of a little sparkle kindle great flames and cannot he of our ashes though neuer so small raise our bodies or can we fetch fire out of the flint caÌ„not he fetch vs out of the earth Could Eliah and Elisha raise the widow of Sarepta and the Shunamites 1. King 17 23. 2. Kin. 4 32. Act 9. 40. Act. 20. 10. children could Peter raise Tabitha and Paul Eutichus and cannot God their Lord and ours raise both them and vs Yes he can and will and that in a moment in the twinkling of an eie Qui fecit idoneus est reficere 1. Cor. 15. 52. Tertul. l. de res car saith Tertullian Considera Authorem tolle dubitationem saith St. Austin Consider the Author of this admirable worke and leaue August Greg â—om 20. in Ezâ—k doubting or reasoning Nam in rebus mirabiliter factis ratio facti est potentia facientis But yet if any naturalists will farther reason against the resurrection of the body let theÌ„ for their satisfaction attend what strong reasons euen from their rules of Philosophy and the immortality of the soule by themselues granted may bee drawne to confirme the same Posita facultate saith The Soule was not made to liue by it selfe but in the body and resteth not fully contented so long as it wanteth her organ and companion Aristotle ponatur organum necesse est i. Admit then the soule as most Philosophers hold to bee immortall and then it must needs follow that the body as the organon or instrument thereof should bee revnited thereunto Againe Nulla res imperfecta est capax perfectae foelicitatis i. No imperfect thing is capable of perfect felicity but the soule separated from the body is an imperfect thing therefore it ought to bee ioyned to the body againe for the attaining of this perfection Againe Non est perpetuum quod est contra naturam i. Nothing is perpetuall which is contrary to nature but it is contrary to the nature of mans soule to be separate from the body seing it is the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfecting act thereof Wherefore the soule cannot continually be separate therefrom but must necessarily resume the body againe But leauing all other reasons that which our blessed Sauiour hath in loue done and suffered for vs in body and soule manifestly euinceth that our bodies shall bee raised glorified with our soules by vertue of Christs resurrection Christ our head suffered in body and soule for the redemption of Mat. 27. Act. 1. both parts he ascended in both is glorified in both and so shall we his members be For though the vnion betwixt him and vs be spirituall yet our bodies are called the members of Christ 1. Cor. 6. yea the temples of the holy Ghost that 1. Cor. 6. 15. 19. since they are members of Christ they might be restored vnto their head and since in their corruption they are vouchsafed to be the temples of the holy Ghost they might put on incorruption and as they be graced in this life so be glorified in the life to come What though in the meane while our bodies be scourged tortured tormented as Christs was what though we be bought and sold cruelly entreated as Ioseph was what though death swallow vs vp as the Whale did Ionah and bind Ioh. 1. 17. vs hand and foot as the Philistines Iudg. 16. did Sampson and seale vp the Sepulcher vpon vs as the Iewes did Mat 27. vpon Christ what though in death the spirit be loosed from the flesh the flesh separated from the bones bones flesh conuerted into rottennes rottennes into dust dust resolued into the Elements as Dr. Gregory in his Morals reasoneth and the scornefull Atheist oftentimes Greg. in 19. Iob. Ezek. 37. obiecteth yet as the Prophet Ezekiell in a vision prophesied ouer dry bones and they came together and the flesh and sinewes grew vpon them and life entred into them and they became faire and strong bodies So and more then so shall it bee at the last day for the trumpet shall blow and the graues shall giue vp their dead our bones shal be conioyned our parts composed our bodies reedified wee presented face to
most feruent and vnfained affection each to other not but that your enemies and strangers yea all men in whom nothing but nature doth appeare are also to bee beloued but the fellow members of the same misticall body yea brethren by grace and adoption by calling and profession Chtistians begotten by the same word and spirit redeemed by the same bloud Heires of the same promise kingdome are to haue the chiefe seate of loue in your soules and as it were the highest and fairest roome of true affection in the house of your hearts This is my commandement that yee so loue one another 3 As I haue loued you That which I haue commanded in word I haue for your instruction and imitation practised in deede I haue made my life the example of my law and therefore may iustly require that loue at your hands whereof I haue exhibited my selfe a continual patterne before your eyes I haue most authoritie to command and my example should bee of most force to induce you will readilie imitate him of whom you thinke well especially hauing receiued some great benefit from him now of whom should you thinke better then of mee and to whom are you more beholding then to mee who haue indured a miserable life and must suffer a contemptible death for your sakes wherefore my disciples my friends my followers Loue one another as I haue loued you And with cheerefulnesse and constancie follow my example in this principall and most necessarie Christian duty of mutuall charity each to other This beloued is the full sense and meaning the maine drift and substance of my text Which as a fountaine of liuing water diuideth it selfe into three streames and in the diuision thereof commends to the duty of our obseruation these three distinct parts 3 parts 1. A commandement or law prefixed to win the Deuision greater reuerence and attention in these wordes this is my commandement 2. A duty of mutuall loue enioyned to worke in vs the deeper impression in these words That ye loue one another 3. A reason or motiue thereunto grounded on Christs example most worthy of imitation in these words As I haue loued you This is my commandement a commandement Illustratio â—â—â—tus of absolute soueraigntie and therefore to bee obeyed that ye loue one another a worke of excellent vse and commodity and therefore to bee performed As I haue loued you an example or president of singular sufficiencie and therefore to be followed This is my commandement Not an earthly Prince though his ordinance be as full of soueraignty as his seate of maiestie Neither heauenly Angells though in them all things make remonstrance of great power and glorious excellencie gaue this charge But the Lord Iesus the Lord of Angells the King of kings the Destroyer of Sathan the Sauiour of Saints the Conquerour of death the Giuer of life whose goodnesse is such as all are bound to loue him and greatnesse such as none may disdaine to obey him the Lord Iesus Excelsus in honore August enchyr suauis in amore diues in haereditate primus supremus liberrimus The first before all in eternity the highest aboue all in infinite maiestie most free and absolute at his owne libertie by nature essentiall and very God by distinction of â— Heb. 8. â— Ioh 1. â— Heb. persons the Sonne of God by office the word of God by holinesse the expresse Image of God the brightnesse of his glory the sweetnesse of his goodnesse the greatnesse of his power The Lord Iesus the Creatour of our persons out of nothing the Reformer of our natures out of sinne the Redeemer of our estates out of miserie the raiser of our soules from death to life and the exalter both of body and soule vnto glory Whose comming in the flesh the Patriarchs honored by their prefiguration Princes and potentates by their expectation Iohn Baptist by his preparation the three Wisemen by their offrings and oblation the Angells by their song the Sheepheards by their ioy Simeon and Anna by their praise euen the Lord Iesus whose comming into the world was thus honored going now out of the world he thus commanded This is my commandement 2. That ye loue one another That yee the naturall branches of Christ the true vine of whose fulnesse ye 1. Ioh. 16. haue all receiued from whom the soule-sauing-sappe of meekenesse mercy loue liberalitie temperancie and humilitie and all other spirituall graces are alone deriued that ye which are Christians not in name onely but in nature not in outward appearance but in reall existence not only by externall profession but by eternall election and internall regeneration that ye 1. Pet. 1. 21. loue one another Brotherly with a pure heart feruently being of one minde will and affection not hauing your wills diuided your iudgments distracted your affections alienated but supporting one another through loue and alwaies consorting as Brethren therein endeauouring to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace This is Christs commandement Ephes 4. 3. that we which professe Christianitie in sinceritie should loue one an other verè sine fictione purè sine corruptione Hug. Card. constanter sine defectione Truly without dissimulation purely without corruption constantly without flinching or defection 3 As he hath loued vs Who so loued vs that hee made a progresse from dignity to basenes in his incarnation from the ioyes of heauen to the paines of hell in his bitter passion to free vs from sinne and death and to purchase for vs euerlasting life and saluation Who so loued vs that hee turned the white robe of his innocency into the red robe of his martyrdome that the blacks raggs of our sins and sable weeds of sorrow might bee converted into triumphant robes of gladnes and ioy Who so loued vs qui tantus tales tantillos Bern. in lib. de dibde Rom. 5. 10. Ephes 2. 4. 1. Ioh. 4. 14. tantum prior gratis dilexit Who being so great and high in power and dignity loued vs so bad by nature so base in qualitie and that so much and that before wee loued him and that freely Who so loued vs as Bernard speaketh Bern. in Cant. Ser. 20. Suauiter quod carneÌ„ induit prudenter quod culpaÌ„ cauit fortiter quod mortem sustinuit so sweetly investing himselfe with our humanitie so wisely auoiding euery sinne and impiety so strongly in suffering death for vs and triumphing ouer the powers of darknesse victoriously that this his loue in respect of the admirable and vnmatchable perfection thereof may rightly be termed and entituled A None-such Wherevnto there hath not beene beene no nor shall be the like like no not the like in any degree O amor sine exemplo sine gratia sine merito charitas sine modo Ambr Bern O loue without it's like ô grace without merit charitie without measure yet in what manner or measure wee can let vs beloued imitate this his
the Apostle exhorteth Ephes 4. and loue one another â—phes 4. 15. yea euen our enemies as our Sauiour in my Text commandeth and be no waies partakers of those fornamed grosse sinnes of craft and cruelty which proceede from hatred malice couetousnes and enuy but be euery way abundant in good workes which are the fruits of true Christian loue and liberalitie Vse 3 And now lastly for our instruction sith loue is not onely a necessary implement but also an excellent ornament for a Christian and therefore by our Sauiour so earnestly required at our hands let vs know that it is our duety by humble and hearty prayer to seeke it at his hand let vs therefore beseech him to grant by grace that true loue vnto vs which nature cannot giue let vs humbly intreat him so to shed his Spirit abroad in our hearts that wee may loue his seruants as wee ought that those which are neere and deere to him may be so to vs and where he loueth most wee may there be most inlarged in our loue and kindnesse also that our very soules may fully rest themselues in the liking and embracing of Christians not looking to their present wants and imperfections but to their future perfection and glory not considering what they be in themselues but rightly conceiuing what they be in Christ this prayer this meditation will be an effectuall meanes to make our loue abound wherevnto if we shall adioyne the commendable practise of other Christian duties and in our often meetings conferre and discourse charitably and conscionably of holy things and make one another partakers of the benefit of our reading and hearing especially on the Sabboth day surely this would be as fewell and towe and bellowes too to blow and stirre vp this grace of loue in our hearts and to make it flame in a great measure to our mutuall comfort and commodity 2. Tim 16. Wherefore as euer we would haue louing hearts and bee loued of him that alone knoweth our harts let vs alwaies striue to haue our companies and societies seasoned with holy and religious exercises and in steed of prophane talking ripping vp of other mens faults scoffing and iesting which are things vncomely Ephes 5. and Ephes 5. 4. faults too common in our priuat meetings and as it were the puddle water to quench loue and the incentiues to prouoke hatred Let vs on the contrary vse godly conference and delight in the practise of prayers and singing of Psalmes the like duties of Christianity as often as our company in any place is thereto required whereby occasions of hatred may be preuented whereby Christians perceiuing the spiritual excellency which is in ech other may be the faster glewed and linked and obliged in their iudgements wills and affections one to an other Finally to shut vp this point with the exhortation of the Apostle Ephes 5. 1 2. Beloued be ye followers of Eph. 5. 1 2. God as deare children and walke in loue as Christ hath loued vs. And Let euery man please his neighbour in that which is good to aedification Rom 15. 2. and the Ro 15. 2. God of peace and loue grant that in the eternall peace-maker Christ Iesus wee may loue each other aeternally And thus much of the first doctrine and of the seuerall vses and reasons thereof And so the time cutting off the intended handling of the two other points following in the feare of God I commend you all to the grace of his word which is able to build you Act. 20. 32. further and to giue you an inheritance with those which are sanctified and commit that which hath been spoken euen this little graine of loue to the ground of your hearts the blessing thereof to him who is able to make an handfull of corne to proue like the top of Lybanus Psal 72. 16. and the Psalm 72. least graine of mustard-seed to ouertop the trees of the forrest Matth 13. Math 13. though he which sowed the same depart Euen to God the Father the inexhaustible fountaine of goodnes the Sonne the incomprehensible wisdom of the Father and the Holy Ghost the indivisible power of them both To whom being three in persons one in essence the same onely wise immortall and invisible Diety we ascribe and desire to be ascribed all praise power might maiesty and dominion now and for euer Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL AND worthilie regarded Sir ROBERT CHICHESTER Knight of the noble Order of the BATH c. increase of all grace and true happinesse heere and the blessednesse of immortality hereafter SIR Beeing often sollicited by the earnest entreaty of men of no meane quality to publish these slender fruits of some few daies labour and to let them passe to the eie of this censorious world as things in their iudgement worthy longer life then to fade with the houre or two to which they were destinated I haue at length after much reluctancie yeelded consent to satisfie their importunity addressing my selfe with the more alacritie to the businesse because I saw oportunity offered thereby to let the world see how I reuerence your person regard your place and vnfeignedly desire to make publike acknowledgement of my bounden seruice to you for all such beneficiall fauours as haue bin at any time vouchsafed vnto me in that place and calling wherein by Gods grace I stand Sentinell for the soule-sauing good of you and many others I hope whom the Lord of grace hath ordained to glory beeing in duty and conscience obliged so farre as the nature of my ministeriall functioÌ„ shall guide me and the power of my poore ability can reach to returne vnto you the interest of spiritual bles sings the comforts of a better life eternall in lieu of such corporall benefits as vnder Gods prouidence your patronage I do enioy for the maintenance of this fraile life temporall As a pledge of which duty I doe here humbly present vnto your eies that funerall sermon which lately you heard with your eares presuming that by your fauorable acceptance and benigne countenance you will giue vnto the same a kind of second life especially because it was penned preached vpon the occasion of your much esteemed friends death at the solemnising of his buriall In the which if there bee any sentence of instruction rule of direction example of religious resolution whereof your christian wisdom according to the pregnancy of your wit apprehension shall make a conscionable and comfortable vse to the furtherance of your saluation the matter occasioÌ„ of my thanksgiuing to God for his blessing on my poore labours shall hereby greatly be enlarged and my respectfull readines vpon your encouragement to vndergo the like employment shal be much augmented Thus humbly beseeching your Worship to rest assured that how weake and meane soeuer my counsels and endeauours bee my vowes and praiers for your truest happines and honour